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Opinion: The math of Alberta politics no longer adds up

It time to take back Conservative constituency associations from the fringe right wring.

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The math of Alberta politics is no longer adding up. If you’re a conservative in Alberta, you’re commonly considered a member of the majority.

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We’ve been conservatives for generations. Yet, we no longer have meaningful representation in our own province.

The UCP, which is ostensibly the Conservative party representing Albertans, has become the least conservative government I have ever seen. In the 2026 budget, the government abandoned its own fiscal framework developed in Bill 10 to table a staggering $9.4-billion deficit.

It is operating without fiscal principles or discipline. 

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The core tenets of Conservatism — tenets I was raised to believe in — such as fiscal management, individual liberty and responsibility, and the preservation of established institutions, are nowhere to be seen in the platform, promises or barrage of referendums from Premier Danielle Smith and her government. 

I know I’m not alone. I hear from peers every day who feel abandoned by the UCP’s actions, but cannot bring themselves to vote for the NDP. On the periphery, we see the newly launched Tory Party led by Peter Guthrie, but it remains in its infancy, struggling for structural traction.

Meanwhile, the MLA who once championed that movement with him, Scott Sinclair, has chosen to remain an Independent, leaving the moderate right fractured and ineffective.

How did we get here? What are our options? The answer to both questions lies in an overlooked layer of our democracy — constituency associations.

Constituency associations are the backbone and driving force behind Canadian politics, yet they are chronically underrepresented in our discourse. These are volunteer-led groups empowered to shape the very parties that we vote for. They elect local candidates for each riding, drive fundraising and are the primary boots on the ground during campaigns.

Crucially, they also play a deciding role in party leadership reviews — the mechanism that could hold a premier accountable. 

In Alberta, the associations are also where policy resolutions are born. When a small group writes a resolution and gains support, that policy moves to the floor of the party AGM. These policy resolutions are driving Smith’s shift on key issues more than broader voter opinion. 

When it is said that the UCP has been “taken over” by David Parker’s Take Back Alberta, they are describing a procedural reality. That group’s members organized and systematically took control of UCP constituency associations across the province. This is why Jason Kenney is vocally opposing the very party he once led, and why reasonable voices within the caucus have been marginalized or expelled. 

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On the left, the NDP constituency associations are often driven by ideologues willing to sacrifice the economic stability of our economy to make a point, and on the right, the UCP associations are filled with the same. Instead of fiscal discipline, the UCP are ushering us toward a slate of expensive referendums this October — including one on a pension plan most Albertans don’t want.

Neither side seems to prioritize the long-term success of this province, nor the financial stability of the current economy. 

If you identify with this frustration, it’s time to get involved. Buy a party membership. Attend your local constituency association meetings. Take back the boardrooms and the ballot boxes from the margins.

If that feels impossible, realize it only takes 20 to 30 engaged neighbours to “take back” a constituency association and restore order. 

With an election likely in the spring of 2027, the window is closing. Candidate nominations and platform development begin in the coming months.  

Reasonable conservatives are the majority in Alberta, but our silence has allowed the fringes to take our seats at the table. It is time to take them back.

If you don’t show up, someone else will, and they likely don’t care about the $9-billion deficit you’re being asked to fund. 

Ashleigh Hislop is a Calgary business analyst with experience in strategic planning.

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